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anybody else dealing with rhuematoid arthritis

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Trill

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Yep, right here. I came here to post and say I have RAD (some of us want the name changed to rheumatoid auto-immune disease/disorder to get "arthritis" out of the name), and to ask about mods and different types of gear that others with RAD use. My ego-t with 1000mah battery is fine for now, even did okay with it when I got some sausage fingers for driving for a long time the other nite. Wondering what other people's experiences are.

The drugs don't kill ya faster than the disease, IMEO. A site you might want to check out is rawarrior.com or rheumatoid arthritis warrior on fb. It's a woman who's been battling it for years, and is very scientific-minded. A lot of info and support there. MTX has given me a large part of my life back, so, though I have the awful hell night/hangover every week, it's worth it, because the rest of the week, I can....actually leave my house and do stuff. I'm not in remission by any measure, but I'm a sight better than I was half a year ago. Don't really take anything else other than the folic acid and stuff like biotin. I am one of the lucky ones, though, I know that.

Anyway, yeah, let em say the smoking is causing it now. I am no longer a smoker. ;0
 

Trill

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Oh, forgot to mention, if you check out a lot of the studies, coping without the drugs may be something you want to do, and it is always YOUR decision how you do it, but the disease has a pretty high rate of affecting one's heart, eyes and other organs. So, while some folks suffer through the pain with different coping mechanisms, if you're just treating the symptoms and not stopping the progression of the disease, you're running the possibility of shortening your life. But, like I said, do research of your own, and make your own decisions. If your doc is not helping, find another one. My soapbox lately is "You're a consumer, act like one," because we wouldn't keep buying substandard products or services anywhere else, let's not do it at our health care providers, either. :)
 

yiddleboge6

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I had the best rhuematologist in the tri-state area. Enbril and methotrexate weren't stopping the progression of the disease, only slowing it down a little. Enbril and the other injectibles can cause heart failure, TB, lymphona and a host of other diseases as side effects. The steroids often prescribed are dangerous as well, causing an eventual collapse of blood veins something that I witnessed in my father. So in the end it comes down to my deciding which disease I prefer to die from. I am well aware that RA affects all ones major organs. There's a history of heart failure and cancer on both sides of my family so I feel as if I'm playing russian roulette whatever options I choose.
How lonf have you been dealing with this? For me it's been 10 years.
I'm vaping with a kgo, ego-c upgrade PT, and a iTaste. So far I'm doing okay with these, but fingers on my right hand are getting progressively worse, so will have wait and see how long I'll be able to keep using them. May have to go with something with a larger diameter in the future.
 
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Trill

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Jun 16, 2012
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For me, about 35 years, I reckon. Started having symptoms in young teens, wasn't dx'd until 23 yrs ago, though. Yeah, I know that the biologics can be crazy. I am not sure what decision I would make if it comes to that. I do know that I can not and will not do pred again (or any other steroid). My primary doc (who I have appointed my team leader of physicians) has straight up told my rheumy that I am NOT to have any steroids. Mental health is health, too.

Just cuz a rheumy is "the best" doesn't mean s/he is actually the best. The first one I went to un-dx'd me, and she was the best in cinci area. She went only by bloodwork, which is a big no-no. Not to mention that that was the -only- time in my history that I was seronegative. I almost drove off a bridge that day. I'm glad I didn't, because, come to find out, I had gone into remission, my body just didn't feel it yet. Was in remission for 8 yrs, and it just struck again a little over a year ago. I decided to go aggressive this time.

Was also thinking a box mod or something wider, but worried about the weight. It would be nice to have a local shop where I could just pick it up and feel the weight. I chainvape pretty constantly, at least right now in the beginning, so that's kind of important. Not to mention that I have had problems in the past smoking analogs! I smoke left-handed, and it would send those zappy pains down my hands and I would have to use my compression gloves. This was during flares, which have mostly stopped with the MTX.
 

yiddleboge6

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I actually had gone to another doc 15 years prior because I could see something happening with the joints in my fingers. He sent me for x-rays and told me nothing was there! Amazed me since I could see the visible changes with my own eyes. When it finally really hit me I was in so much pain in every part of my body it was unreal. We had gone to visit my daughter for the holidays and I thought the pain in my hands was just from my death grip on the steering wheel coming home, but it just progressed from there and intensified. Couldn't even cut an egg for breakfast. Husband had to do it for me.
Here's something that's coming to Got Vapes soon and I'm thinking about getting one. :)
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-new-ego-sct-new-18650-vvg-telescopic-st.html
If you scroll down the page you'll see the Gripper. That's the one I'm interested in.
 

Trill

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Jun 16, 2012
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Yeah, some people have to FIGHT for a dx, which is ridiculous. Seriously, check out Kelly Young's site, you'll see your story told over and over. The fact is that our bodies are more effective tools than bloodwork and what people can see, whether visually or in xrays. Couldn't see my herniated discs till we did MRI, so why not MRI my knees which have always been a problem? pf.

idk about that gripper. i need to keep my pinkies close to my other fingers so they don't splay sooner. I'm really into joint protection this time around, because I basically beat my body up ignoring a lot of it for years (and self-medicating, of course). knees may actually be OA because of all the trekking i did when in flares.

Anyway, I remember when I first read that the ego-t was 'about the size of a cigar' I was like oh, no, that would just be ugly, but now I lovvvve the idea of bigger and flashier things. This isn't a cigar or a cig or any of those things. :)
 

yiddleboge6

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